kphd Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Hi! I have a GPA of around 2-2.5. in equally bad in both undergrad (commerce, business, accounting) and Masters (Economics). I have a decent GRE score of above 1400, quant - 720-800 and verbal 700-800. Final score will be available in mid-november. I am interested in pursuing a PhD in public policy. Can anyone kindly suggest point to me the kind of universities that I should target? I am planning to apply to the top schools like HKS, Goldman I will need full funding... Any advice will be highly appreciated. MYRNIST and disintegrate 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kphd Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Btw I have three years of work ex as an Research analyst (Infrastructure). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabaci Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 2.2 and you're thinking about HKS? lolz cunninlynguist, MYRNIST and greendiplomat 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cunninlynguist Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Well, I'll try to frame my answer with more tact... Ultimately, your GPAs will preclude you from admission to the elite programs. Why wouldn't admissions committees have serious reservations about accepting a student who has done poorly at both levels? There's no evidence you could provide -- from your academic history -- that you're prepared to complete a PhD. I see you're an international student, so I would also advise you to not regard the GRE as a compensatory factor in the sense you might be hoping. Here, it's simply a general 3-hour test that lends itself well to preparation and memorization. It's not in the same ballpark as the tests you've taken in the past that determine your eligibility to attend a certain institution. Your work experience seems valuable, though. If you cast a (much) wider net in terms of programs, you might be able to emphasize that angle and downplay your GPAs. I'm not in public policy, and only know the basics of the programs, so I won't misdirect you and offer advice on where to apply specifically. cunninlynguist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clay Made Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Well this person clearly seems like a troll. I mean mentioning they did "equally bad" on UG/and PG and then look for full funding from HKS at that?! How did you even get onto a solid Masters with such a dismal GPA? greendiplomat and gradytripp 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYRNIST Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I don't think it's a troll. As we get closer to deadlines there is an influx of people who have done almost no research on grad school and are quite clueless. Which is fine, since spreading information is what this forum is all about. But sometimes it's information they might not want to hear. OP, time for a reality check: You don't have a snowball's chance in hell at Harvard, or any other top flight PHD program, with a 2.2 GPA Full funding is almost surely not going to happen. If you are truly dedicated to getting a PHD, I would start looking at much, much less prestigious schools. Think Southern Illinois, not Harvard. With those you at least have a realistic chance of getting in. gradytripp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattemoi Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Sorry to hijack your topic but would a 2.6-2.7 GPA in engineering and good GRE quant scores cut it? No funding required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lattemoi Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 from a top 15-20 school if I may add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MYRNIST Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Too little info to comment. Post your profile in the appropriate thread and people will evaluate you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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